Android is based on Linux but isn't what anyone means when they talk about Linux. Plenty of stuff runs on Linux but the comment you're replying to mentioned usability specifically. Do you think Linux's general usability (i.e., not for you specifically, but for the average computer user) is on par with other OSes?
Replaced Windows 10 with Debian for my relatives, and they are quite happy. Problems with GNU/Linux occur when (1) you need to use a Windows-only app, or (2) you have incompatible hardware (typically designed for Windows).
I second that. My family runs on Debian/KDE and evrybody is happy. Now to be honest, 99% of their computing stuff (ie tiktok, instagram, youtube) is done with a tablet). But for the rest (occasioanl browsing, text editing,...), it works perfectly.
Except for one or two bugs (mainly, using kde with several user sessions sometimes fails and one grub update that failed (but my setup has multiple drives and partitions)), they can handle it themselves.
But there are some things Linux has that makes it much better imho :
- only security updates (I run Debian stable), so you're not constantly reminded of rebooting your computer
- you're not constantly pushed to install this or that
- you don't have notifications about useless stuff
- applications , while admittedly scarcer, don't install stuff all other the place (more notifications) and behave well
- when I update Debian I don't have to update my computer
- endless support for some hardware (got a scanner for 20 years now, doesn't work anymore on Windows 'cos the drivers don't exist anymore)
For me it leads to a much quieter work environment and that counts a lot.
But sure, it's less polished than Windows or IOS. But, well, while "being in control" was a political stance for me 20 years ago, now it just feel so much better.
Sometimes I compare my Linux to TV : it's much better when you can watch it without the commercials.
Anyways, I have to use Windows as I have a print-related disability. Windows has better support than MacOS and Linux for the certain type of print-related disability that I have. I also rely on screenreaders, and Ubuntu just does not work as nicely. So, I do a QEMU/KVM Windows 10 GPU passthrough, for using a screenreader, and it has no noticeable lag whatsoever. This likewise works quite seamlessly. It's basically like running Ubuntu and Windows together in harmony, but with Ubuntu as the base OS. A good guide (that also shows the thought process with setup) is here: https://pastebin.com/5tuvWTMH
A year ago with work-from-home, my father who's near retirement began using LinuxMint on an old laptop for his work, and other than initial unfamiliarity with a few programs, no problems. He's not at all a geek, nor very adept at computers, so I'm so glad he's using an OS that just works for his straightforward web and word-processing needs.
>Do you think Linux's general usability (i.e., not for you specifically, but for the average computer user) is on par with other OSes?
Yes. It is orders of magnitude more usable than Windows 10 at least, which is awful. I haven't used OSX in a few years, but there were always some annoyances about maximizing windows, having to jump through hoops to install programs from the internet, or having to restart after updates.
I would very much like to see a user study of new computer users trying out Ubuntu, Windows 10, and Mac OS for the first time.
> not for you specifically, but for the average computer user
This is shifting the goalposts. Desktop Linux is perfectly usable for me, not for my wife. I'm interested in a more Linux-like phone for me; I'm not looking to see if it would be better than an iPhone SE for my wife.
